Experts are full of valuable knowledge and are ready to help with any question. Credentials confirmed by a Fortune 500 verification firm.

Get a Professional Answer

Via email, text message, or notification as you wait on our site.Ask follow up questions if you need to.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Rate the answer you receive.

Ask Lisa Your Own Question

Lisa, Certified Vet Tech

Category: Dog

Satisfied Customers: 16185

Experience: AAS Vet Tech. Bully breed rehab & Behavior modification

10413311

Type Your Dog Question Here...

Lisa is online now

I have a toy chihuahua. I came home today and noticed she has trouble keeping her right ey

Customer Question

I have a toy chihuahua. I came home today and noticed she has trouble keeping her right eye open. It is very possible that she might have gotten into a fight with my cat. I don't see any bleeding but her eye is watery. She doesn't mind me touching her eye but it's very hard to open her eye to see what's wrong. It does appear to be a little swollen. She's resting right next to me. Usually when she's not feeling well, she'll crawl and hide out under the bed.I'm just wondering if there is anything that I can do until I can take her in to see her vet in the morning. I would really like to avoid the 24 hour clinic because they charge an arm and a leg but will take her if necessary. I don't want to wait until the morning if this can get worse.

Submitted: 1 year ago.

Category: Dog

Share this conversation

Customer:replied 1 year ago.

(Posted by JustAnswer at customer's request) Hello. I would like to request the following Expert Service(s) from you: Live Phone Call. Let me know if you need more information, or send me the service offer(s) so we can proceed.

HI there. My name is ***** ***** I'm happy to help you with your question. Just like an in person consult, I have some questions of my own to help ensure I give you the best advice possible...Do you see any discharge from the eye?If you pry the lid open, does the eyeball look red itself?Is she squinting or just keeping it closed?Does your cat have claws?

Hi Lisa,I do not see a discharge. It is a lot less watery than an hour ago though.After prying the eye open, it does not appear red but she is growling at me just a little when I try to open it. She didn't do that at first.She is doing both squinting and keeping it closed but mostly, she just keeps it closed.Yes, the cat has claws.

Thanks for the additional information. I really appreciate it.So my biggest concern (in addition to the possibility to an eye laceration) is the fact that cat claws tend to be incredibly dirty and almost any cat scratch injury becomes infected very quickly...often within hours.Since Izzy is growling when you try to mess with that eye, it tells me that it's probably pretty painful to her, but as long as she's otherwise stable, I think that you could wait until your vet opens in the morning and have them take a peek at her.I'd make absolutely positive that you call first thing in the morning. They'll take a look at the eye, and get her on some antibiotic drops and possibly some steroid drops to keep the inflammation down.I hope this ehlps.